The Grand Canal

Exploring Dublin and Meeting some of its Literary Giants

While staying at Dublin’s Merrion Hotel (by the way that special offer I mentioned in my post is now finished….sorry) Graham and I pretended we were tourists and enjoyed exploring Dublin. So here is a little snapshot of where we went and who we met. JAMES JOYCE It was Bloomsday when we were there and
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The Merrion Hotel Courtyard

The Merrion Hotel Dublin A Review

GG and I spent a night in The Merrion a few weeks ago and it was heaven. We were actually supposed to go after Christmas, but then we had another lockdown! We have been starved of pampering because of Covid and at this stage of our lives we do enjoy a bit of luxury now
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Malahide Castle

‘Style Not Age’ Shares Picnic Outfits

Hello, my friends. ‘Style Not Age’ is back with a picnic theme this month. What would you wear to a picnic? This prompt came from Gail of ‘Is this Mutton’. Do you go on picnics? I used to as a child. I would gather my sisters and take them off to a nearby field that
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Raised Cholesterol, Statins and Other Reasons I am Pissed Off

I have given in. Finally, I am taking Statins to help lower my cholesterol. Since menopause, my cholesterol has been elevated. But now it has gone through the roof! Fifteen years ago, my then doctor tried to put me on statins. I resisted. But since giving up tennis (because of back-related problems), it has risen
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Blue Kimono

The Sky and the Sea Inspire ‘Style Not Age’

HOW THE SKY AND SEA INSPIRE ME When I think of the sky, I picture the colour blue. Some fluffy white clouds float by. Another favourite would be sunset or sunrise with yellow, red and orange colours dominating. Similarly with the sea, I prefer the blues of sunny days rather than the greys of stormy
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Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream

3 of My Favourite Kiehl’s Skincare Products

Of course, I was aware of Kiehl’s Skincare products, but I never used any of them until a few months ago. I was sent some as part of a press drop.  And YES, I am impressed. HISTORY OF KIEHL’S SKINCARE Kiehl’s is an American skincare company which was created by an apothecary/pharmacist in 1851 in
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TGA and the brain

Transient Global Amnesia What I Learned

I promised a follow-up post on my experience of having an episode of Transient Global Amnesia. Thank you to all those people who commented on the post and to the other twelve who sent me personal  emails. One of my readers also told me of a support group on Facebook so of course I asked
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Spring Sweaters

Spring Sweaters with ‘Style Not Age’

Another month nearly over. And we have the perfect prompt of ‘Spring Sweaters’ from Anna for our ‘Style Not Age’ feature this month. There may have been a lot of sunshine but there is still a chilly wind most days. While I have ditched the heavy winter coats, I still need to keep warm. No
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Maybelline Mascaras

Maybelline Mascaras Make Bigger Lashes

A press drop of iconic Maybelline mascaras brightened up a blustery day in March. It is 50 years since the launch of Maybelline’s iconic Great Lash mascara. I am always on the hunt for an incredible mascara.  This is particularly difficult the older I get as the lashes become more brittle. Well everything does, I
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Online Shopping with Charisma Fashions is Still Personal

I am a big fan of shopping in boutiques because I love the personal service you get there. Department Stores are great but they do lack the personal touch. Nothing beats a boutique, where the owner has personally chosen her stock. I shop a lot in Malahide and have written before about some of my
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Borrowed from the Boys with ‘Style Not Age’

‘Borrowed from The Boys’ is Emma’s prompt for this month’s ‘Style Not Age’ group. It is true that we have adopted many items of men’s clothing as our own, over the years. Trousers are the most obvious item, I suppose. POTTED HISTORY OF PANTS When you look back at women’s fashion through the centuries it
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Call My Agent

3 Series on Netflix we loved in February 2021

Thank goodness for the telly and particularly Netflix. We watched three wonderful series recently which will keep you entertained during the time that we still have to spend in LOCKDOWN. And you know there is only so much walking, yoga and reading that a person can do. And I am not into baking! So here
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Drink Lemon, Water and Ginger to stay Healthy

This post was one of my early posts  7 years ago, so I thought I would republish it, as I had some additional information. I still drink this every morning. But, now I use a straw to drink it on the advice of my dentist Dr Sarah Flannery at Seapoint Clinic. I had some wonderful
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Ambulance Emergency

My Emergency Hospital Visit With Transient Global Amnesia

Have you heard of Transient Global Amnesia? Well, last Friday I had an episode of Transient Global Amnesia, or TGA as it is more commonly known. It lasted  approximately two hours. And it obviously terrified me and frightened my family. But I do not remember any of it. WHAT HAPPENED? Graham tells the story… Friday
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Faux leather jacket

‘Style Not Age’ Showcases Faux Leather

Faux Leather is the theme of my ‘Style Not Age’ group this month.  I have some faux leather in my wardrobe, my most loved being my Spanx suit (below) which you have seen before. But for this month’s challenge I decided to bring out my much-loved faux leather biker-style jacket (below), bought a few years
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4 Books to Read in Lockdown that could be loosely termed Historical Fiction

I have read some really interesting books recently. Lockdown has given me the opportunity to read more than usual, as golf courses are closed and my social life is severely limited. We are staying at home like most people. This month, I have reviewed some books that reflect life during certain historical periods. The first
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Graham and Hilda 1994

Love is not only for Valentine’s Day

THE BEGINNING Graham and I started our journey in love on Valentine’s Day 40 years ago. It all began on a hockey tour with our club Lorraine H.C. which was based in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. Both of us were single since the previous December and we had already been flirting a bit in the clubhouse
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How to stay healthy…drink Gin!

Gin has had very bad press for years because it was considered to be a drink that made you sad or depressed, or maudlin. Now there’s a word that has gone out of use! I never found it so and, in fact, when I started drinking Gin in my early twenties, I found that it
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‘Style Not Age’ in Loungewear at home

Loungewear has obviously become much more popular since the pandemic. Why? Because we are spending more time in our houses. Many are working from home and so the more formal work dressing has gone by the wayside. CASUAL WEAR It is true that casual dressing had been creeping into the workplace anyway. It started with
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Reading books

Best Books to Read from Autobiographies to Thrillers

‘Reading gives us some place to go when we stay where we are.’ Reading has been an escape from the pandemic, where I can lose myself in other worlds. I have not read as much since I was at college. When I was teaching and raising a family, I was mostly too tired to read
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Staged

Binge Watch these Television Series

We have watched a lot of telly recently. Yes, we did binge watch much of what I recommend. My memory is not what it used to be and I prefer not having to wait a year to watch the next series.  And there is some seriously good viewing out there. I know many of you
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Malahide Estuary

Goodbye to 2020 and Look Forward

Goodbye 2020 I believe that most of us (probably everyone) are happy to see the back end of 2020. Personally, it has not been all bad as we welcomed our third grandson on my birthday on December 9th. And we managed to get through the various restrictions including the FIRST LOCKDOWN without too much difficulty.
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Primark green coat

Out and About with Style Not Age

Our ‘Style Not Age’ collective shows what we wear when we are ‘out and about’. In my case, I have been living in casual clothes. I presume most of you have too.  In Dublin (Ireland), we have been in and out of various levels of restrictions since last March. We had a brief reprieve for
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10 reasons why you should take Vitamin C

Now, more than ever, we need to make sure that we have strong immune systems. There has been plenty of evidence to suggest that supplementation with Vitamin C and Vitamin D has an impact on keeping us healthy and in fighting Covid-19.  Regular readers know that I have been championing Vitamin D for years. Check
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